Window constructions

ABSTRACT

A WINDOW CONSTRUCTION IN WHICH A SLIDABLE WINDOW IS MOUNTED IN A FRAME ADAPTED FOR LOCATION IN AN OUTER BUILDING WALL, THE FRAME DEFINING AT THE INSIDE FACE OF THE WINDOW A CHAMBER WHICH ENABLES THE PRESSURE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDOW TO REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME UNDER VARIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.

March 16, 1971 BAKKE WINDOW CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Dec. 18, 1968 N G UT k 1 1 ill ilk? 11M--- Mi- "I lillllllnllull. .l

United States Patent "ice 3,570,182 WINDOW CONSTRUCTIONS Bjorn Bakke, Bergen, Norway, assignor to A. Knag A/ S, Bergen, Norway Filed Dec. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 784,765 Claims priority, appliciltiim Norway, Dec. 20, 1967,

7 ,071 Int. Cl. E06b 7/14, 3/46 US. Cl. 49408 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to window constructions and, in particular, to constructions having sliding windows designed to be installed in a buildings outer wall.

In the case of windows which are to be opened for ventilation, it is usual for a window pane to be slidable in a groove or channel formed in a frame. Buildings which are exposed to driving rain or, in other words, a combination of wind and rain, frequently acquire a build up of excess pressure on the wind side and a reduced pressure on the lee side. Where the building is a tall one or possesses an exposed situation, this pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the building can amount to 70 mm. water column in strong winds. Sliding windows are susceptible to the ingress of water under driving rain as a result of the clearance between the window pane and the groove or channel which permits the pane to be displaced without too much force. Furthermore, contaminants and temperature variations provide a basis for leakages in a window construction.

Drainage holes bored in the frame have been proposed for the purpose of dealing with the situation. However, such holes can be blocked by the counter pressure from the wind side, while the excess pressure is large enough to force water in through the crevices resulting in window leakages.

It is an object of the invention to provide a window construction of the above general type in which the aforesaid difficulties are substantially overcome.

It is another object of the invention to provide a window construction which is essentially free of water condensation problems.

According to the present invention a window construction comprises at least one window pane mounted for slidable opening in a surrounding groove of a frame of profile form adapted to be located in an outer building wall, said frame defining at the inside face of said pane and adjacent the lower portion of said groove, a chamber communicating freely with the outside atmosphere via an opening in the frame adjacent the outside of the wall.

Conveniently, the bottom of the groove is formed with passage means for directing water to the frame opening.

In one embodiment of the invention, the frame supports the lower end of the window pane on opposite side thereof at a location adjacent the groove. Y

3,570,182 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 In another embodiment of the invention, the lower end of the window pane is supported by the frame in a somewhat similar fashion but at a location separate from and above the groove.

By means of the window constructions according to the invention, it is possible to break the path which penetrating water would otherwise follow when buildings are exposed to driving rain and drain off the water.

In order that the invention can be more clearly understood, convenient embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a window construction having two slidable window panes,

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section through the frame of a window construction according to a first embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1 and illustrates a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, window panes 1 and 2 are mounted in a frame 3 for slidable movement relative to each other by means of slide grooves 4 and 5 respectively which extend in parallel around the inner periphery of the frame.

For the purpose of illustrating the principle of the invention with greater clarity, FIG. 2 shows the profile form 10 of the frame 3 receiving only a single displaceable window pane 11. While the panes are normally made of glass, preferably insulation glass, they can be fabricated from other materials. The frame profile 10 is provided with an inner hollow space which is divided by the window portion 11 into an outer chamber 12 and an inner chamber 13. The two chambers 12 and 13 communicate with each other through holes 14 in a block 15 which the window portion 11 rests on and which is formed integrally with the profile 10. The block 15 is provided with a slide channel 16 for the controlled reception of the window portion 11. The upper edge of the frame profile 10 bears against the window portion 11 on both sides of the latter and it is provided with an outer tongue 17 and an inner tongue 18. The two chambers 12 and 13 have bottom portions which are inclined outwards towards the outer side of the supporting wall 19 where the chamber 12 is provided with a downwardly directed opening 20.

If, as a result of driving rain, water penetrates between the window portion 11 and the tongue 17, which is not to be avoided, this is led down into the chamber 12 and the slide channel 16 through which it can be forced into the chamber 13. Since, however, the chamber 13 communicates with the chamber 12 which, in turn, communicates with the atmosphere outside the wall, the pressure in the chamber 13 is just as large as the pressure in the chamber 12. There is, therefore, no excess pressure which can press the water into the chamber 13 and, hence, certainly not beyond the tongue 18 and into the inner space. The water which is forced into the chamber 12 has a free discharge through the openings 20. The water which enters the slide channel 16 can, if necessary, be led off through holes 21 in the bottom of the channel constructed in the chamber 12.

In order to prevent the cold air which enters the frame profile 10 from causing condensation on the inwardly directed surface, the profile is provided with an insulation chamber 22 which prevents cold air from coming into contact with such surfaces. The possibility of condensation can, according to the invention, be further reduced by utilizing a frame profile of a thermal insulating material, such as polyvinyl chloride or similar non-metallic material. In addition, this involves the advantage that the space between the window portion 11 and the tongue 18 is less under the presssure of wind since such materials have a greater ability than metal to be deformed and form a sealing connection.

In FIG. 3, a frame profile 23 is illustrated which is designed to receive two displaceable window portions 24 and 25, an outer and an inner one respectively. Two slide grooves 26 and 27 respectively are therefore arranged in the frame profile 23 and these are formed as gutters or grooves integrally with the upper portion of the frame profile which has an outer, outwardly inclined surface 28 and an inner, inwardly inclined surface 29.

The two slide channels 26 and 27 in the frame profile 23 are the same in principle. The following description of the outer slide groove 26 applies, therefore, also to the inner slide groove 27. The gutter 26 formed by the slide groove is substantially of U-shape. The distance between the side walls is so much greater in the lower portion than the thickness of the window portion 24 that a clearance exists on both sides of the window portion. In order to control the window portion in the slide groove, the upper edge of the frame profile 23 extends in towards the window portion so that tongue-like abutments 30 and 31 are formed, respectively on the outer side and on the inner side. The bottom 32 of the slide groove 26 is provided with openings 33 which run out into an inner chamber 34 in the frame profile, the slide groove projecting freely into this chamber which is common to the two slide grooves 26 and 27.

Below the tongue 31 there is arranged in the slide groove an extension so that a chamber 35 exists. The chamber 35 is connected by means of the openings 36 with the inner chamber 34 of the frame profile. At the lower side of the chamber 35 the side walls of the slide groove are extended forward so that a projection 37 is formed which does not however contact the window portion.

The frame profile 23 comprises, in addition, an insulation chamber 38 arranged at its inner edge. This insulation chamber is attached directly at the inner slide groove 27. The forward edge 39 of the frame profile extends a distance in front of the supporting wall 40 while the bottom of the chamber 34 extends down along the supporting wall. There is formed thereby an opening 41 through which the chamber 34 communicates with the atmosphere outside the wall. With regard to the mechanical stability there is arranged in this opening a reinforcement, the two downwardly projecting portions being connected by a hole-supporting plate 42.

When water is forced in by driving rain through the crevices which must exist between the tongue 30 and the window portion 24, it is forced down in the slide groove 26. By virtue of the fact that the same pressure prevails in the chamber 35 as on the forward side of the slide groove 26, water is not able to be forced up and out between the tongue 31 and the window portion. The water which is forced into the slide groove 26 is led out through the holes 33 in the bottom 32 and down in the chamber 34 from which it drains out through the opening 41 and down the outer side of the wall 40. If the holes 33 should be stopped up, or if the slide groove is not provided with such holes, which is possible, the water is forced up into the chamber 35 and through the holes 36 down into the chamber 34. In order to prevent water from being drawn up on the inside of the groove by virtue of the waters adhesion to the walls, the projection 37 .is provided. In addition, care must be taken that the distance from the bottom 32 up to the chamber 35 is greater than the drop tension, that is to say greater than 6 mm.

In the case of larger window constructions, it is desir- 4 able to include supporting means at the under side of the window panes. In FIG. 3, these take the form of cylindrical plugs 43 which are installed in holes in the under side of the gutters 36 and 27. The plugs 43 are preferably made of a metallic material having a low coefiicient of friction or of another hard material and are able to support the weight of the window panes, transferring it to the lOWer portion of the frame.

Supporting ribs 44, preferably formed integrally with the frame profile, can be included with advantage to extend down to the supporting wall 40.

What I claim is:

1. A window construction which comprises at least one openable window pane having inside and outside faces and a frame of profile form adapted to be located in an outer building wall, said frame including a block having a groove slidably receiving said pane at the lower end thereof, and a pair of continuous lateral tongues respectively engaging the inner and outer faces of the pane above said groove, said frame having a first chamber be neath the lateral tongue engaging the outer face of the pane and encircling said block on the outer and upper sides thereof, and a second chamber beneath the lateral tongue engaging the inner face of the pane and encircling said block on the upper and inner sides thereof, said first and second chambers being isolated from said groove in the block by the presence of the pane in said groove, and being isolated from one another solely by said pane and said block, said block having passage means providing communication between the first and second chambers and holes leading from said groove to said passage means, said first chamber having an outlet leading to the external atmosphere.

2. A construction according to claim 1, wherein the frame is formed from a non-metallic material suitable for the reception of window panes made of insulation glass.

3. A construction according to claim 1, wherein that portion of the frame disposed inwardly of the groove defines an insulation chamber.

4. A window construction which comprises at least one openable window pane having inside and outside faces and a frame of profile form adapted to be located in an outer building wall, said frame having opposite walls defining a groove slidably receiving said window pane, said walls being spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the window pane, said frame including a pair of lateral tongues respectively engaging the inner and outer surfaces of the pane above said groove, said frame having a first chamber beneath the lateral tongues and around the walls of the groove, said frame having an opening at the bottom of the groove to provide communication between said groove and the first chamber, said first chamber having an outlet leading to the external atmosphere, the inside wall having an extension portion above said groove which projects towards the inner face of the pane but does not contact same, said extension portion being beneath the tongue engaging the inner surface of the pane and defining therewith a second chamber which is above and in communiction with said groove, said extension portion having an opening providing communication between said first and second chambers.

5. A construction according to claim 4, wherein the U-shaped groove has supporting means located between its bottom end and a lower portion of the frame enabling weight from the window pane to be transferred from an upper portion of the frame to said lower portion thereof,

6. A construction according to claim 5, wherein the supporting means consists of a cylindrical plug formed from a material having a low coefficient of friction.

7. A construction according to claim 4, comprising an additional supporting means located between the lower portion of the frame and the surface of the wall supporting said window construction.

8. A construction according to claim 4, wherein the 6 frame is constructed with a pair of parallel grooves for FOREIGN PATENTS slidably receiving respective window panes. 1,111,798 7/1961 Germany 52 209 References Cited 1. KARL BELL, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,918,706 12/1959 Rust et a1 49-408 52 209 CL 3,111,727 11/1963 Gerecke 49413X 3,396,491 8/1968 Giesbrecht 49413 

